1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a device for retaining the strap of a face mask including an eye covering (called mask hereinbelow) to a breathing tube of snorkel used for swimming, surface diving, scuba diving or other water activities, and more particularly to a retaining device formed integrally with a breathing tube of snorkel for quickly retaining a mask strap or disengaging therewith.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a diver may wear a mask and a snorkel when engaging in swimming, surface diving, scuba diving or other water activities. Also, a retaining device is formed or mounted on a predetermined position of a breathing tube. The retaining device is adapted to retain a mask strap and thus allows a diver to easily fit a mouthpiece of the breathing tube in the mouth of the diver. A top open end of the breathing tube is formed as an opening as the mouth of an air passage while a diver wears a snorkel in diving. The snorkel is still attached to the mask strap in an unused state such that they are ready to be worn by a diver. Alternatively, a diver may detach the mask strap from the retaining device in a storage state.
A snorkel having a conventional retaining device A is shown in FIG. 1. The retaining device A is mounted on a breathing tube. The retaining device A is adapted to retain a mask strap B or detach therefrom.
Another prior art retaining device is formed as two separate members in which one member is mounted on a breathing tube and the other member is formed with a mask strap. One member can retain the other member for assembling the snorkel and the mask strap together or detach therefrom for disengagement.
However, the prior art mask strap retaining device suffered from a couple of disadvantages. For example, its assembling or disassembling operation is relatively difficult. Further, its construction is relatively complicated. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.